On the eve of the live-action Transformers movie, from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, in association with Hasbro, Inc. hitting theaters nationwide, thousands of Transformers fans and collectors from around the world will heed the call to “roll out” and gather at BotCon, the annual event celebrating the Transformers universe.

BotCon runs June 28 to July 1, 2007, and — for the first time ever — the four-day convention will be held in Providence, Rhode Island, Hasbro’s home state. The largest gathering of Transformers fans in the world, BotCon is open to both collectors and non-collectors — and the young and young-at-heart.

A highlight of this year’s convention will be an appearance by the actual Optimus Prime truck seen in the film. In addition, fans will have a chance to meet those associated with the movie including Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, and the film’s screenwriters Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman. Plus, fans will see Hasbro’s 2007 product line and meet members of the design team, learn how to customize Transformers action figures, view incredible Transformers collections and even purchase retro figures.

“We invite all Transformers fans — whether they’ve been collecting Transformers since the toys were introduced more than 20 years ago or have been drawn in by the excitement surrounding this truly awesome live-action movie — to join us in Rhode Island prior to the movie’s premiere,” said Brian Savage, director of the Transformers Collectors’ Club. “This year’s convention will showcase more than ever that Transformers are ‘More Than Meets the Eye.'”

First introduced in 1984 by Hasbro and Takara as a toy line, Transformers has become a global phenomenon inspiring comic books, video games, animated series, films and a convention dedicated to Transformers collectors. Whether fans grew up with the robots or discovered them more recently, they continue to be fascinated by the alien robots from Cybertron that live on earth as “Robots in Disguise” and have the ability to change from robot mode to vehicle mode.

The 2007 BotCon will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center, 1 Sabine Street, Providence, R.I. General admission sessions (open to the public) are scheduled for Saturday, June 30 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, July 1 from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. General admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages five to 12, with children under five receiving free admission. For more information about the convention, click here.